CASTING 59 



as with the overhanded cast. The man who can make 

 this cast has overcome the initial difficulty of dry-fly- 

 fishing, because with any breeze short of half a gale 

 he can fish with ease across its direction. This cast 

 will almost always land the fly cocked on the water, i.e. 

 with its wings up, and in the natural position for may- 

 flies, duns or sedges. This is caused by the wings of 

 the fly as it falls on the water, acting like the feathers 

 of a shuttlecock, while with the ordinary overhanded 

 cast the fly is driven on to the surface of the 

 stream. 



Every fly-fisherman should, if possible, learn to 

 use either right of left hand indiscriminately for 

 casting. Most people can train themselves to be 

 ambidextrous, especially if they commence in early 

 life. A scientific friend of mine established a rule in 

 his household that the table should be laid right and 

 left-handed in alternate weeks. He himself not only 

 used either hand to the knife, spoon, or fork, but even 

 carved left-handed during the week devoted to that 

 hand. His wife, children, and even guests were 

 expected to conform to this rule. I commend it to 

 my readers. 



It is at times useful to the fisherman to be able to 

 cast with either hand, especially 

 Horizontal cast, back- when he is on the right-hand 

 handed. side of the river looking up- 



stream, because when returning 

 left-handed in this position his fly is over the water 

 and cannot well catch up on the bank. There are 



